Blue Streak Beginnings
by SolidSonicTH
Summary: A benevolent kingdom falls and a tyrant constructs a new empire over its ashes. He envisions a metallic wasteland where the world is only populated by robots but a determined group of rebels are intent on taking back their homeland. A reboot and reimagining of the Sonic SatAM universe.
1. An Era Begins: Part I

**An Era Begins: Part I**

It was a brisk, moonlit night through the Mobian countryside. While there was a large full moon out, very little light was making it to the surface below. Instead, the white light was being smothered by the large toxic clouds that were billowing from the distant city of Robotropolis. The city was illuminated by several artificial lights, appearing as though the black buildings were being highlighted by small fireflies.

Overlooking the city was a small ridge at the edge of the Mobian Great Forest. Atop the ridge, a low sigh could be heard. Sitting on a log, looking over the lit city, was a young fox. His fur was a bright orange and had a tuft of white fur on his chest. He tapped his red and white shoes on the ground below as he stared at the city, his chin resting in the palms of his gloved hands, which were propped up on his knees. His light blue eyes were sullen and dejected. Unusually, the boy had two soft white-tipped tails which were calmly wagging behind him. He often came to the ridge to think but the dismal sight of Robotropolis didn't bring much solace, instead inspiring frustration and anger. A light breeze blew past him and with it the foul stench of pollution from the city, which caused his small black nose to scrunch with disgust.

"Tails!" a voice called out from behind the fox. He stood up and looked back at the sound, which he recognized as one of his closest friends. "Where are ya, buddy?"

"Tails!" another voice called, this time female.

"I'm over here, guys!" he called back, getting their attention. He waved his arm above his head but wasn't sure if he could be seen through the thick foliage.

"Hey, Sal, I heard him over there!" the male voice said to his companion. The pair of voices revealed themselves as they emerged from the Great Forest. Out in front was the male; a blue hedgehog. His stomach, arms, and mouth were tan-colored while he wore a pair of red sneakers with a white stripe across the top, in a similar pointed shape to the shoes on the young fox. His white eyes were connected at his nose and his pupils were a deep green. Like the younger fox, he wore white gloves on his hands. His female companion was a brown squirrel. Her fur was two-toned, with a lighter brown tuft covering her stomach. She had on a pair of blue boots and a matching sleeveless blue vest. Her hair was a dark red and styled into thick bangs over her forehead that offset her soft blue eyes.

"There you are, Tails," the hedgehog said to the fox. His high-pitched voice was slightly whiny but at the same time full of self-confidence with a hint of rebelliousness. "You should really tell us when you're gonna go out this late."

"Sonic and I were looking for you for the past fifteen minutes," the female squirrel added. By comparison, she spoke with a gentle class to her words, as though she had come from well-spoken backgrounds. "It's too late to be out this far away from Knothole Village."

"Sorry Sonic, Aunt Sally," the young fox said, a little sheepishly. "I guess when I'm out here I tend to get lost in my thoughts and lose track of time."

"Ah, it's alright!" the hedgehog named 'Sonic' said. He wrapped his arm around his young friend and pulled him in. "You can handle yourself, right?"

"Sonic…" Sally said, putting her hands her hips disapprovingly. "Don't go giving him ideas…"

"C'mon, Sal," Sonic tried to bargain. "When I was his age I was already bustin' up 'Buttnik's bots." He threw a few quick punches into open air to emphasize his point.

"Yeah, and you're also the fastest thing alive," Sally countered with a scoff. "Surprising how often you seem to forget that, given how much you remind us of it…" She folded her arms and turned to the side with a slight frown.

"Meh…I could train Tails to be one of the best Freedom Fighters!" he said, mussing the fur on Tails' head. The young fox giggled at Sonic's playfulness.

"Well, come on you two," Sally said, trying to get the pair back on task. "We can't stay out here all night."

"Race ya home, big guy!" Sonic said to his friend. However, as he was about to take off, he noticed Tails didn't appear to be willing to race, standing upright without any indication he was going to begin running. "Hey, wassup? You love to race!" Sonic asked, perplexed at Tails' lack of enthusiasm.

"Sonic…what was life like before all this? Before Robotnik?" he asked, pointing back at the city behind him. Sonic didn't respond, instead looking at Sally.

"Well…um…" she stumbled over her words, not prepared to answer such a deep question. "Sonic and I were just kids when everything happened…"

"It was ten years ago, Tails," Sonic reminded him. "We were younger than you when it all went down. I barely remember what things were like before Robotnik."

"But you still know what happened, right?" he asked, still wanting to learn anything he could. "I mean Aunt Sally was princess at time…and her dad was the king! I…never got to know anything other than this. I just wanted to know what life was like when things were better…"

Sonic and Sally both knew there was no getting around it. Tails wasn't going to let the issue go until he had plumbed what they knew about the origins of their current situation. "Come on, Tails," Sally said, smiling warmly. "We'll tell you what we can on the way back to Knothole."

The trio returned to the forest the way they came, walking slowly through the night. Tails strolled between his two elder friends.

"It was the year 3224," Sonic started to explain. "Back then Robotropolis was a way past cool city called 'Mobotropolis' and was ruled by Sally's dad, King Max…"

* * *

"These plans are exquisite, Julian," an enthusiastic voice said. The tone conveyed in his voice was regal and exuded strength. He was a light brown squirrel with a wide mustache below his black nose. He was clad in a royal blue jacket that ran all the way down to the tops of his black boots, adorned with several medals and gold trimmed shoulder pads. Above his long eyebrows, resting upon his forehead, was a thin gold crown with rubies carved into the shape of feathers at the center, coming out of a blue diamond centerpiece.

"Thank you, Your Highness…" a deep, imposing voice responded. It came from a rather rotund man wearing a white Kingdom of Acorn officer's uniform. His eyes were a disturbing black with red pupils and under his nose was a long orange mustache. Upon his head was a tall officer's black cap with a similar feather pattern on the front as worn on the king's crown. "The war has been hard-fought but I have looked forward to the day that I would be able to use my talents to preserve the peace…"

Between the pair was a long table on which a set of drawn diagrams were unfurled. The diagrams depicted various advanced technologies, such as hovercrafts and autonomous robotic patrol units. "Julian these concepts you've drafted for creating a robotic police force will be of great use to the realm," the king complimented. "Our resources have been stretched thanks to the Great War with the Overlanders and this will help offset the load as we train new recruits to backfill the security forces. How soon can they go into production?"

"As soon as the funding is approved, King Acorn," Julian responded with a bow. "The infrastructure for full scale production is already in place once we convert the war production facilities into robotics factories. With your approval we will be able to produce up to 200 units daily and have the first units fielded within two months."

"Excellent, excellent!" King Acorn regaled as he rolled up the diagrams. "We will be able to deploy units to ensure peace in the territories we acquired from the treaty and assist with the reconstruction in the war-torn regions. You are truly one of my most reliable and capable officers, Julian! That is why I have decided to name you the new 'Minister of Security Development' of the realm!"

"Oh…Your Highness…you are much too kind!" Julian said, appearing to be flabbergasted by the surprise promotion. "I am in your debt!"

"No, Julian, I am in yours," King Acorn said, graciously. "You have given us a path forward to maintaining order in the Kingdom of Acorn in the wake of this terrible war and for that I will be forever grateful. With your guidance we will be able to restore order and serenity across the realm with minimal downtime."

The king looked down at his watch. "Oh dear, I'm sorry Julian but I must be getting to my meeting with the Council of Advisors. I'll be taking these diagrams with me to show to the council, I'm sure they will be just as pleased as I am."

"I would be honored," Julian said, proudly.

"Your promotion will be officially formalized at the next royal address," King Max assured him. "I look forward to placing the Minister's Sash upon your shoulder."

"You humble me, Your Majesty…" Julian said, watching as the king exited the planning room. As soon as the door closed behind him, Julian's expression changed from a placating smile to a scowl. He flourished his red cape behind him then turned and left the room through the opposite door.

* * *

Elsewhere, a short man with bushy brown hair was standing at the console of a room-filling computer system, flipping through various security camera feeds on the large display in front of him. He was dressed simply, with a blue shirt and brown pants and had on a headset that wrapped around the side of his head. While he was working, the door to the room slid open and standing beyond was the silhouette of a large figure. The man looked behind him at the sound of the opening door.

"Uncle Julian," he said, welcoming the individual who had joined him. The man's voice was nasally and subservient. "So good to have you back. How did the visit with the king go?"

Julian did not return his nephew's greeting. He entered the room and took off his black officer's cap, revealing his pointy bald head beneath. He carried the cap over to the computer console before setting it down as his nephew stepped aside. Julian began to type on the computer's console.

"It was…enlightening," Julian said in a sinister tone, accentuated by his already deep voice. "The king has offered me a promotion to Minister of Security Development."

"Wonderful news, Uncle Julian!" his nephew congratulated. "We should celebrate tonight!"

Suddenly, Julian slammed his fist down at the notion of celebrating his accomplishment, which caused his nephew to jump in shock. "I don't want his petty title, Snively!" he snarled, his face twisted in an angry grimace. "What this has proven to me is the king's weak resolve!"

"I-I-I don't understand, Uncle," Snively stammered.

"For years I've served under King Maximillian Acorn and in that time I have witnessed a monarch with no spine. No determination or commitment," Julian explained more calmly. "Instead he defers to his advisors and ministers to handle the hard decisions he refuses to make. As Chief of Military Intelligence, I watched as a kingdom teetered on the brink of defeat time and again simply because King Acorn could not issue the order to capitalize on an opening. He believes that choosing not to attack a vulnerability, vulnerabilities _we_ were responsible for finding, will somehow inspire our enemies to opt for surrender. It is because of his incompetence that the war raged for longer than necessary, squandering precious resources, that have left us weakened in triumph. Now the king wants to merely cooperate with the conquered lands instead of reigning over them as a victorious ruler. He is a pathetic fool…"

Julian had finished typing on the console and brought up a video file onto the display. He turned around and sat down in the large central command chair that occupied the middle of his command center.

"What is this?" Snively asked.

"This is a video file of a meeting the King and I had two years ago," Julian explained from his chair. "Watch and be amazed…"

The video on the display showed the feed of a static camera housed in a complex laboratory. Julian and King Acorn could be seen on the side along with another individual who was moving about the room. The third individual was a light blue hedgehog with a graying mustache.

"Charles, please explain the purpose of this device again," King Acorn asked the hedgehog who was moving in and out of frame.

"Your Highness, this is the result of the project I've been working on," Charles explained. "You can bring him in," he said to someone off camera.

A wounded lynx was led into the room. He was on a pair of crutches and could visibly be seen favoring his right leg. He was dressed in soldier's fatigues, indicating he had served in the king's military.

"Hop on up here, son," Charles indicated to the lynx, pointing to a table in the middle of the room. He nodded back then gingerly lifted himself off his crutches and onto the table, assuming a seated position with his wounded leg outstretched. It was clear that the action was causing him a great amount of strain.

"This poor boy was wounded in the war with the Overlanders," Charles explained. "However my invention will give him a second chance…"

Charles walked over to a nearby computer console and began typing. As he did, the mechanism above the table began to light up. A beam of energy began raining down from above and onto the wounded lynx's leg. As it did, the leg began to change from the lynx's natural brown color to a metallic gray. The king and Julian both looked on with curiosity. After a few seconds, the beam of energy dissipated. The lynx's leg had turned from flesh and bone to a robotic prosthesis.

"That's amazing, Charles," King Acorn said in astonishment.

"What did you do, Charles?" Julian asked, equally as mesmerized by the sight.

"This is the 'Roboticizer'," he explained. As he did the wounded lynx stepped off the table and discovered he could walk and move without needing crutches any longer. He jumped up and down in wonderment at his new appendage. "This leg is a fully functional replacement for a damaged limb. It is capable of all natural motion that a real leg can perform and is able to sense touch as well as any living appendage. This technology will give countless Mobians a chance at a more full and fulfilling life after a debilitating injury or illness!"

"Truly astounding, Charles," the king praised. "We'll have one sent to the military hospital right away."

"The only thing you have to watch out for is roboticizing a person's brain," Charles warned. "If you do, it wipes away their free will. I've been trying to engineer this flaw out of the system but so far I haven't had any results."

With that, Julian pressed a button on his command chair, which ended the video feed.

"Intriguing presentation was it not?" he asked his nephew. Snively looked back at his uncle with some confusion.

"I don't understand, Uncle Julian," Snively said. "What does that have to do with the king?"

"Because, Snively, I need you to download the schematics from the data archives!" Julian said, his voice coming to a sharp crescendo. He pounded his fist once again and caused Snively to wince in fear. "Charles Hedgehog only worked on this project until the end of the year before abandoning it and resigning from the Ministry of Science. He claimed that erasing free will was too dangerous to justify any further experimentation and had the prototype model destroyed. However…that serves my purposes perfectly…" Julian tented his fingers and leaned back in his chair with a malicious grin.

"I-i-if I may, Uncle Julian," Snively stammered. "H-how is that a g-good thing?"

"Because…my dear nephew…if the king cannot protect his own homeland…we will make our own kingdom…"


	2. An Era Begins: Part II

**An Era Begins: Part II**

 _Three Weeks Later_

King Acorn was standing before a full-length mirror, making the final adjustments to his regalia for his royal address to the citizens of Mobotropolis that day. His aide was brushing off his blue jacket with a lint brush as he straightened the medals on his chest.

"…and see that Julian's office is ready for him on Monday," the king instructed his palace decorator who was standing nearby. He brushed his mustache and straightened his tail while the decorator took notes.

"Daddy!" a child's voice rang through the king's dressing room. The king turned in the direction of the voice and saw a young female squirrel running up to him. She would have been no more than five years of age and had on a tiara and a matching set of green clothes. Like the king, her fur was a chestnut brown with tan highlights. The king knelt to meet eyes with the young squirrel. Walking in behind her was an older squirrel, likely in her early 20s, wearing dark brown pants, black boots, and a blue sleeveless vest with a white shirt underneath. She had her long black hair tied into a ponytail and a single gold hoop earring looped through her left ear.

"Sally," the king said, embracing the young girl in a hug. "It's good to see you."

"Daddy I'm hungry, can we have lunch together?" she asked, flashing her bright blue eyes at her father in an effort to sway his decision.

"Sorry, Sally," the king regretfully told his daughter. "But today is the day of the royal address. I'll be busy with that for the next few hours."

His daughter pouted. She folded her arms defiantly and looked as though she were about to start crying. "I never get to spend any time with you!" she said in an impassioned tone.

"Now, Sally," the young adult squirrel who followed her in said. "Your father has a very important task today and we can't interrupt that. Someday you'll be queen and you'll know what it means to have to address the people. They rely on your father as a leader and want to hear from him, especially at a time like this."

Sally sighed. Though she was unhappy about not getting her way, she knew deep down there was no changing it.

"Thank you, Nicole," the king said to the elder squirrel. "I hate to be so consumed by things that I can't spend time with Sally. Hopefully after this I'll be able to find some time to spend as a family, what with Julian taking over for the domestic security forces."

"Come on, Sally, let's go watch the address from the palace balcony over the courtyard," she said, trying to draw the little girl's attention.

"Alright…" Sally said, feeling resigned. "But daddy owes me!"

"Of course, sweetheart," King Acorn said, kissing his daughter on the forehead. "Go with Nicole, now." Sally ran down the hall leading into the king's dressing room towards the other end of the palace.

"You're more than a bodyguard, Nicole," the king said once Sally had left. "You are Sally's best friend and for that I'm truly grateful. It's hard growing up with a father who is constantly preoccupied by his royal duties and Sally's stature makes it difficult for her to make friends her own age. I remember having many of the same issues with my own father growing up."

"It's no trouble at all," Nicole said. "I hope my influence will make her a strong, capable leader later in life when she assumes the mantle."

"I can already tell you have her on the right path," King Acorn assured her with a warm smile as he laid his hand on her shoulder. Nicole turned and left the dressing room, closing the door behind her as the king resumed checking over his jacket in the mirror.

A few minutes later, a knock came at the door.

"Who is it?" the king called out without turning around.

Instead of a response, the doors burst open and one of the king's guards who had been standing outside came flying through the door on his back. He landed in the center of the room with a harsh "thud".

"Cyrus!" the king said, whipping around at the sound of the commotion and seeing his guard lying on the floor. He ran over and knelt at his guard's side, who was clutching his shoulder in pain. "Cyrus, who did this to you?" he asked. His guard pointed towards the doorway with his weak arm. The king looked up in the direction Cyrus was pointing and as he did, his eyes widened.

Standing in the doorway was a tall figure that was colored in an alternating gray and white scheme. It stood like a Mobian but was entirely metallic and mechanized. It towered over the king, standing taller than any average Mobian. Its head lacked any eyes, instead having a long red slit that ran the width of its domed head that was glowing with a pulsating red light. Standing behind the robotic figure were more of the same, some of whom were restraining the other guards who had come to help.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?!" King Acorn demanded to know, still on the ground tending to his injured guard. "Who is responsible?"

"Good morning, Sire…" a familiar voice said from behind the crowd of robots. The king immediately recognized the deep and sly voice, despite not being able to see him amidst the crowd waiting outside his dressing room. The implications of whom the voice belonged shook him to the core.

"Julian!" he said, identifying the unseen voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Julian responded. The king's new Minister of Security Development made his way through the robots and stood in the doorway next to the robot who had originally tossed the king's guard through the door. He looked down at the king at his feet with scorn and superiority. Julian was dressed differently, having on a red bodysuit that bore a yellow cross-like pattern along the middle. He was wearing flared, pointed shoulder pads and a yellow cape that flowed down his back. Red and gray boots adorned his feet and his clenched hands were covered with gray gloves. His bald head was on full display. Julian's nephew Snively was accompanying his uncle at his side.

The king set his injured guard down gently and stood up to face Julian. "What are you doing here, Julian? What are these?" he asked, his voice serious and apprehensive.

"You'll be glad to hear that I won't need to wait for your funding approval, Maximillian," Julian said with a wicked smile, defiantly calling the king by his first name. King Acorn gritted his teeth at Julian's disrespectful and insubordinate tone. "I have already begun producing the first wave of _my_ new SWATbots, as you can see." He gestured to the army of robots that were standing behind him. "Consider this a preliminary demonstration…"

The king, however, was unimpressed. "How dare you, Julian!" he said with fire in his voice, pointing aggressively at Julian. "This is treason! And after everything I had done for you!"

"No, 'Sire', I am committing 'treason', as you call it, because of everything I had done for _you_!" Julian retorted. He stepped forward to look the king directly in the eye, his dark eyes full of tranquil fury. "Your weak-willed rule of Mobius comes to an end today! I won this war for you and I have demonstrated time and again that I have the willpower and the motivation that is needed to guide this realm into a new era! Meanwhile you blithely sit back and would gladly take the path of least resistance! A king is meant to rule firmly, undisputed and decisive, something that you have never displayed. Because of that, it has cost you dearly!"

"I care for my people and their well-being, Julian!" King Acorn snapped back. "I don't have a perverse lust for power like you!"

Julian closed his eyes and shook his head with a blissful smile, as though the king simply failed to understand. He looked back at his army of SWATbots and pointed at the king. Two SWATbots emerged from the group and advanced on the king. He backed up gingerly but could not create distance quickly enough. They reached out and each took him by his wrists. The pair began dragging him out of the room against his will.

"Unhand me this instant!" the king ordered, struggling against his mechanical assailants. He tried to pull away by jerking his wrists, but their grip was too tight, and he was not able to fight his way out. King Acorn looked at his former friend as he was being forced out of his dressing room with a vengeful grimace. "You will pay for this, Julian Kintobor! Mark my words I will see you executed for this treachery!" he shouted defiantly.

"Desperate words from a desperate man," Julian said dismissively, watching as his former ruler was pulled in front of him. "Perhaps you need to be taught to respect _your_ new leader…"

Another pair of SWATbots rolled in a device at the far end of the hallway. It appeared to be a pedestal that was connected to a computer terminal. Above the pedestal was a glass dome that would encase the platform, giving enough room for a Mobian to stand within. The pair of SWATbots pulling the king made their way to the device.

"W-wh…what is that?" the king said, uncertain where this was leading.

"Why you should know, Maximillian…you were there when Charles Hedgehog demonstrated it for us," Julian said, following the pair of SWATbots restraining the king down the hallway.

"No…the Roboticizer!" King Acorn said, realizing what Julian meant. "But Charles destroyed it after he left the Ministry!"

"But he didn't destroy the designs!" Julian responded with a vile laugh. "They were still housed in the Royal Archives, just waiting to be found!"

The king was forcibly escorted to stand on the platform. The glass shield was lowered around him, preventing him from escaping once he was released by the SWATbots. He pounded at the glass, trying to find some way to break out but it was futile. Julian stepped over to the console next to the encased pedestal and began typing. As he did, the machine came to life and covered the glass shield with a glowing energy. On the terminal's screen a wireframe representation of the king could be seen.

King Acorn began to grow desperate. "What do you want, Julian?" he asked, hoping that he might be able to spare himself if Julian was attempting to extort him in some way.

"I'm about to have it…" Julian said slyly. He pressed a button on the console and the machine began to operate. It flashed brightly as it covered the king in a harsh blue light. The other guards who were forced to witness the effect it was having on their leader were shocked and horrified at what they were seeing. Julian, on the other hand, grinned malevolently at his success.

* * *

The palace courtyard was covered in Mobians who had come from all around. There was a celebratory sense in the air with all the chatter and bustle in the courtyard. This was, after all, the king's first royal address since the conclusion of the Great Overlander War and many were eager to hear the king's plans to move forward in the coming era of peace. Several guards were lined along the edges of the courtyard in front of the archways that ran along the perimeter. Ornate ivy vines wrapped around the exterior walls of the courtyard and several beautiful plants were placed in planters throughout. A blue hedgehog couple walked into the large crowd through the courtyard gates.

"Wow, there must be over 5000 people here," the female said to her male companion when she observed the large crowd, of which they were standing at the back of.

"Sorry, Sonya," the male apologized. "I guess I got too wrapped up in sightseeing to get here before the crowd really started to pile up."

"No, it's alright, Eric," Sonya assured him. "We don't get to come out to Mobtropolis that frequently, coming to the king's address was secondary to spending time together. Besides, we can still see the podium on the palace balcony." She pointed up to the high balcony where the king would be standing during his royal address. Several royal dignitaries were seen conversing on the balcony, sipping wine and looking down on the audience below.

Just then a chorus of trumpets rang out through the packed courtyard. The crowd began to quiet down as a brown and tan otter dressed in official garments stepped through the red curtain behind the balcony and approached the podium. Several television cameras positioned on boom arms around the top of the courtyard turned to face the balcony and focus on the speaker.

"Friends, countrymen, and Mobains around the world," she began, speaking clearly and decisively to the audience both present and watching elsewhere via television. "Today is the start of a new era in the Kingdom of Acorn. The terrible war that has claimed many of our brothers, sisters, and friends has concluded."

A loud cheer rang out through the audience as several in attendance waved Kingdom of Acorn flags above their heads. The speaker hushed the crowd before continuing. "Know that your king, King Maximillian Acorn II, was suffering just as much as any of you through all the violence and struggle. We here in Mobotropolis share all the strife and anguish and wished to bring an end to the conflict just as much as any of you who worked tirelessly to ensure that our forces were well-supplied and morally uplifted in all they had to face." Another cheer from the audience pierced the sky before calming down once more.

"It is now that we must focus on rebuilding and ending the tension that exists between our people and the Overlanders," she said. "In victory, we cannot be aloof, we cannot be condescending, and we cannot turn our backs, lest we end up right where we came from again. In this new era of Mobius, we must work to ensure that peace lasts and to do that, we have to ensure that our victory does not ostracize those we have overcome."

The crowd was solemn through the words of the speaker, in sharp contrast to the earlier elation that had erupted. "Now, friends, I am glad to turn over this podium to our king, who is eager to stand before you and outline the next phase of our great kingdom. Look forward to the future as we welcome His Highness; King Maximillian Acorn!"

The trumpets once again sounded jubilantly, and the crowd erupted as the speaker stood aside and made space for what she expected to be the king's entrance. However, after fifteen seconds, no one stepped out through the red curtain that separated the balcony from the palace interior. The speaker looked confused and glanced over at the other royal aides standing on the balcony, who looked equally as perplexed. She approached the podium one more time and leaned the microphone in her direction. "Um, again, please welcome King Maximillian Acorn!" she restated before backing away from the podium. Once more the trumpets played but again the king did not emerge from the palace. The crowd quickly grew confused at this unusual tardiness.

As the trumpets silenced, the curtain leading into the palace ruffled then were thrown open. Emerging from within was not the king's usual lean profile but that of a large man with a pointy bald head.

"Julian…?" the speaker asked in confusion, attempting to process the unexpected appearance.

Julian glanced at the speaker then flashed an evil grin before grabbing her by her white coat's lapel with his right hand.

"Julian! What…are you doing?!" she asked, struggling against Julian's strength. Julian, being significantly taller than the otter, lifted her up off her feet by her lapel.

"Your introduction left quite a bit to be desired…" he said to her. "You referred to the king as 'Maximillian Acorn'…that is no longer correct."

He turned around and tossed the otter back into the palace by her coat's lapel. Before she could get up to retaliate, a pair of SWATbots descended on her and restrained her.

"What's going on, Julian?!" she demanded to know. "Where is King Acorn?!"

"All will be answered in due time…" Julian said, slyly. He gestured to the other SWATbots, who came out to the balcony and rounded up the other dignitaries standing outside. The SWATbots led everyone into the palace at gunpoint. Julian approached the podium as Snively walked out beside him. The crowd, who had no idea what was happening, were still in a state of confusion.

Julian looked down at the crowd below before speaking, as though he were taking in the moment. His mouth curled into a vile smirk as he observed the people he stood above.

"Mobians…" he began, "what you have heard is correct. We stand today on the precipice of a grand new era of progress. With the Great War behind us, it is time for change and evolution. As has been promised, we look towards the future with anticipation and eagerness. However, for me, Julian Kintobor, the future is now…"

The crowd slowly began to grow irate that this man had hijacked the king's address. However, Julian ignored the rabble and continued. "Many of you may not know who I am. For years, I have served in a supplementary capacity behind your great king as the Chief of Military Intelligence. In that role, I have been exposed to many things…not all positive."

The crowd began to jeer and boo Julian but, as before, he pressed on undeterred by their sentiments. "The king promised me a position as the new Minister of Security Development. As grateful as I was for the honor, I recognized that such a role would not allow me to fulfill the potential that the Kingdom of Acorn was poised to assume."

During all of this, across the courtyard above the main entrance, there was another balcony facing the balcony where Julian stood. Standing on it was Nicole and the king's daughter Sally. The pair had been observing this unexpected speech intently.

"Hm…" Nicole thought out loud. "I don't like where this is going."

"Where's daddy?" the young Sally asked, confused why her father had not taken the podium like she was expecting.

"Whatever Julian's doing here it doesn't seem like it was designed for our benefit…" Nicole said with worry in her voice. She turned to the pair of palace guards assigned to their detail standing behind them. "Guards."

"Yes, Ms. Oakleaf?" the guard on the left responded.

"Ready our escape craft," she commanded. "We need to evacuate the palace until we know what's going on."

"Right away, ma'am," the guard nodded. He raised his left wrist to his mouth, where he was wearing a small communicator, and began walking down the hall. "Prepare the princess's evacuation route, double time…" he said into the communicator as he and the other guard took off away from the balcony.

"Come on, Sally," Nicole said to the small girl. "We need to leave."

"No, Nicole!" Sally protested. "Daddy hasn't spoken to the crowd yet!"

"I'm afraid that something may have happened to your father," Nicole said. "My job is to protect you and right now we need to get you out of the palace."

"Please, Nicole!" Sally continued to object, oblivious to the urgency of the situation. "Just five more minutes!"

As Nicole was convincing the little girl to follow her command, Julian was continuing his address.

"…and while many of you are loyal to your king, I do think that a change in administration is in order…" Julian said to the unruly crowd. "That is why I asked the king if he would be willing to abdicate his position…"

With that line, Julian stood off to one side. Emerging from within the palace onto the balcony was another figure. This figure took the profile of King Acorn but walked stiffly, as though it were following a mechanical routine as opposed to a natural stride. Its body was blue, just as King Acorn's usual regalia was, and had on a similar crown upon its forehead as the king wore but was entirely made of metal. "He was…more than willing to step down when offered," Julian said with a vile confidence before laughing evilly.

The figure that had joined Julian and Snively was the roboticized form of King Acorn. Its cold red eyes showed no emotion, only an eerie glow from within, and its polished metallic body glistened in the sun. The people below observing this covered their mouths in shock and let out a collective gasp at what they were witnessing.

"ALL…HAIL…EMPEROR JULIAN KINTOBOR," the roboticized king said in a monotone, mechanical voice. Its voice bore the remnants of the king's but was heavily distorted.

"What did you do to the king?!" a voice from the crowd cried.

"What is happening?!" another panicked observer shouted.

"DADDY!" Sally screamed from the opposite balcony after seeing what had become of her father. Her eyes quickly filled with tearful panic. She desperately attempted to reach over the railing across the wide gulf to the other balcony.

"No, Sally! We have to go!" Nicole ordered, now certain that something had gone terribly wrong. She picked up the thrashing youth over her right shoulder and quickly took off down the hallway in the direction of the guards had gone earlier. Sally was livid, kicking and crying the entire time, but Nicole held onto her tight as she made her way to a nearby painting of a former king. She tilted the picture of the right with her left hand and, by doing so, revealed a passageway next to the portrait. It was a long staircase that led downwards. She carried Sally inside, then slammed a button on the wall, which closed the passageway behind her.

"Do not fear what you see," Julian said to the crowd, feigning concern. "What you are witnessing is the next evolution of society. A society where efficiency is optimized, and we are not bound by petty things like fatigue and hours of the day. Mobotropolis will be the site for the city of the future…my glorious capital; Robotropolis! Join me…" Julian leaned over the podium and gripped both edges as he looked over the crowd with sinister glee.

Just then, from behind the crowd, a large transport plowed through the entrance to the courtyard, trapping the people who had come to see the royal address. The bay doors on the transport opened and a cadre of SWATbots poured out from within, masked by the dust and debris caused by the destroyed gate. The courtyard exploded into a flurry of chaos and unrest as the people trapped inside desperately tried to escape the hostile forces. The palace guards swarmed the troop transport but were quickly overwhelmed by the SWATbots' superior firepower. From above the courtyard, aerial troop transports could be seen flying by towards the rest of Mobotropolis. Julian watched the calamity and laughed heartily at his victory.

Julian turned around and flourished his yellow cape as he returned to the palace.

"Well you seemed to have succeeded, Uncle Jul-" Snively started to say.

"'Julian Kintobor' is an outdated moniker," Julian cut him off. "It is a name that reminds me too much of the past and life before the new era…"

"I'm sorry?" Snively said, not expecting such a response.

Julian and Snively walked into the king's throne room, which was adjacent to the balcony. Fine tapestries garnished the walls of the throne room, depicting the coat of arms of King Acorn's House of Acorn. A red carpet ran up the middle of the room to the exquisite wooden throne at the back of the grand hall, which was situated in front of a pair of ornate stained-glass windows depicting the king and queen of Mobius. Julian approached to the throne. Placed upon the throne was the king's crown. Julian picked it up and looked at it as he sat on the throne.

"If I am to usher in a new dynasty, we must shed all remnants of the old order," Julian explained, examining the king's crown. "From this day forward, the House of Acorn is no more and the man known as 'Julian Kintobor' has passed into antiquity. This is the first day of the 'Robotnik Regime' and I, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, will be recognized as its eternal and supreme leader!"

"'Dr…Robotnik…?" Snively asked, confused at the name.

"It is to honor my grandfather, a great Overlander scientist, who gave me inspiration to achieve what I have in life," the newly-christened Dr. Robotnik told his nephew. "Your great-grandfather, Dr. Gerald Robotnik. However, Snively…that name is only for my sake. To you and everyone else in this kingdom…I will simply be known as 'Sir'…"

Robotnik flung the king's crown across the throne room. As he did, a blue laser from a nearby SWATbot cut though the room and struck the crown, instantly disintegrating it. Snively watched the ensuing sight and gulped.

"Y-yes…um…of course…sir…" Snively stammered as Robotnik laughed evilly.

Meanwhile, across Mobotropolis, Robotnik's robotic forces were overrunning the city, rounding up the civilians. There was mass hysteria and destruction as Robotnik's metal military swept through the once-great megalopolis. Shops were ransacked, vehicles destroyed, and people were led out of their homes and businesses, rounded up to be imprisoned at the behest of the malevolent Dr. Robotnik.

A new order had been imposed…


End file.
